|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:14 pm
I would like to give you all my sincerest apologies for the March issue being late. Real-life stuff has kind of caught up on everyone lately. I won't go into the boring details, but I made the decision to hold the issue back until the middle of the month to cut the writers, the co-editors, and myself a break.
That being said, there's going to be a few changes with how the newspaper is ran. The Blessed Be Newspaper will now be a Sabbatly newspaper. Which means that we will only release the issues on months when there is a Sabbat. So, there will only be 8 issues on the newspaper each year. And for the four months that don't have a newspaper, there will be a small guild newsletter so that you can all be filled in on what's going on in the guild.
Again, I apologize for the issue be released so late in the month. I'll admit that this isn't the best issue we've released... Still, I hope you all enjoy the articles!
~dark_angel_32189
-----------------
What's new in the March 2008 issue?
I'm sure you'll notice that some... okay, a lot... of the articles are missing. Several of the writers decided that they really needed to focus more on school, and have left the newspaper. Others just weren't able to get an article done.
That being said, we are currently looking for new writers. Specific subjects would be: Spells (you do not have to write your own spells for this, although it would be nice if possible), Gods/Goddesses, Divination, and Abilities. As well as any other subjects that you can think of that you'd like to write about.
Again, I apologize for the lack of material in this issue. I had hoped to include many more things, but have not had the time to get them done. I had planned on doing an article about St. Patrick's Day, but instead, I would like to direct all of you to a thread that was created by candiipup on the subject (if you go to my post, the 2nd post, you will find a link to a good webpage on St. Patrick's day): http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=12200253.
-----------------
What's coming in the April 2008 newsletter?
Being that there isn't a Sabbat in April, there will not be a newspaper, but there will be a newsletter where I will fill all of you in on what's going on in the guild so that you don't miss out on anything! So, it's still worth a read.
-----------------
Table of Contents:
- Letters to the Editors
- Guild Happenings
- Members Section
- Animal Totems
- Book Review
- Crystals and Gemstones
- The Elements
- Herb Garden
- Kitchen Witches
- Meditation
- Ostara
- Classified Ads (on 2nd page)
- Feedback Thread
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:44 pm
Do you have a question for one of our newspaper editors (it can be about the newspaper, something you read in the newspaper, about the guild... about anything really)? Or maybe you want to leave some feedback but wanted to leave it anonymously so that only the editors knew it was you who said it?
If you have a question (on any subject) that you'd like to ask, please send a PM to Blessed_Scribe. Our current editors are dark_angel_32189, Kareena80, koudelkaW, and WelkingPath. You can also choose to have the questions answered by a certain editor if you'd like. Also, in your PM please specify whether or not you want us to post your question or comment anonymously. If you don't specify this then your username will be published along with your comment/question.
We look forward to reading/answering all of your questions/comments!
P.S. Just like anything else with the newspaper... if you send in a question and it gets published, you will receive some free gold!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:06 pm
What all happened during the month of February?
- February 1st: The February issue of The Blessed Be News is now available for everyone to read!
- February 9th: We finally got up our new home page look and our new banner.
- February 10th: There's a new book review discussion in the newsstand subforum. It's a discussion led by too2sweet on her monthly book reviews in the newspaper.
- February 18th: There's now a new feature in the 'sub-forum greetings' thread in The Academy, The Library, and The Main Hall.
This new feature is a list of all of the threads that can be found in that sub-forum. The list is also divided a little bit so that it's easier to find what you're looking for.
- February 23rd: Attention everyone: We have a new game and a new contest in The Main Hall (with several more new ones coming soon)!
Check them out:
Grab Bag - A game of chance!
Avatar Contest - Show off your avatar and cool items to win gold!
- February 29th: The Moonlight Market subforum is now open for business!
---------------------
What's currently going on in the guild?
- Our St. Patrick's Day just ended so please be sure to stop by The Moonlight Market subforum to vote for our contest winners.
- Our Mabon/Ostara party is currently being setup and will hopefully open up by the end of the week.
------------------
Would you like to be part of our welcoming committee where you make our new members feel welcome and show them around the guild a little bit? Please contact dark_angel_32189 for more information or if you are interested.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:07 pm
We had quite a few people join our guild in February. We'd appreciate it if you could make them all feel welcome.
BASS DRIVE, morganita14, Dementophelia, x-emo_bunneh-x, Devilmatt666, seskai, Memoralia, LovingByProxy, Little Vicious, LestatPrinceDarkness_3000, RAWRCICLE, Dollyfear13, Indigo Night Vision, lightprincess03, manga-gal, - Keals -, Diabola137, Megami Yari, Mistypaw, Selena Ashe, XxHybrid MomentxX, Sorceress Lily, Lady_Rei_665, Gregolf, Runa Andrilin, XxSilver_ShadowxX, The Elder Dragon, dance4eva009, Marzi3, candiipup, SlaineWildfire, Amethyst Lavenlight, xXAnaraXx, Star Nightshade, Mythical_Martyr, Sani Takoda, Ru Aear, VeraJinx, Little-Lenah, Nemaree of the Waters, FyreKou, LynnieH, `My Little p***s`, Amy-Jocelyn, SeraphBriar, Lost_In_My_Nightmare, Ice Cold Faerie, Redbutcheress, Sourire Pour Vrai, The Goddess of Earth, lonex_lore, suikoshi, Breana xxOpheliacxx, Rhaegar14
-----------------------------
March Birthdays:
March 8th - - xninjaxgirlx and The Goddess of the Earth
March 9th - - Phaedra Metsa and XxBangbang.im.a.banditxX
March 10th - - VampiricEyes and uninsured_speech
March 11th - - raindroproses
March 12th - - fallen_sorceress317
March 14th - - jaded_minority and bubbles1989
March 15th - - [Midnight Soul] and - Bubble-Kisses -
March 16th - - Galadedrid Damodred
March 17th - - Playboy Bunny Vicky, Peaches Sebastian and Demona Nightwing
March 18th - - ~Angelic Juliet~
March 19th - - Freya_Crescent and Skyler Ohmsford
March 21st - - dark_angel_32189, Little Vicious and Dreamshaper
March 23rd - - Angel Waters and elaisa_angelic
March 26th - - Run_like_the_wind and JaynitaAnn
March 28th - - Crazy Bananna and ChildsWhisper
March 30th - - BabyLove24
March 31st - - Rei Asaka
---------------------------
We have a lot of very talented, creative members in the guild. This is their spotlight!
By: StrawberryDaifuku
Want your artwork (drawings, poetry, photography, etc) to be featured here? Then, contact dark_angel_32189 (Maggie) for more details. You will receive payment for any of your artwork that is published in the newspaper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:10 pm
The Hawk is our March totem animal. According to most Indian cultures, the Hawk appears in our lives when we need to pay attention to the subtle messages around us. With these messages, as with all messages, it’s important to find the truth underneath. Since there are so many species of Hawk, however, lessons that on type of the Hawk will teach one man may be different than another Hawk with another person. This article will just talk about the Hawk in general.
All Hawks have the ability to move between the seen and unseen worlds. They connect these worlds wholly and gracefully. The vision of Hawk allows it to see into the future, and their perceptive nature keeps them out of harm’s way. This power, when translated into man, symbolizes prophetic insight. If this skill is underdeveloped, one will overanalyze everything. In doing this, clear vision is lost. Those with this totem should keep their analytical minds under control.
The Hawk shows us how to smoothly ride the winds of change, showing us, at the same time, to let go and let Spirit take the reins.
Look at the way the Hawk hunts. The Hawk is quick to follow his/her prey’s escape route, capture it with his/her claws, and then dismember it with his/her beak. This symbolizes that man can run but man can’t hide from his/her destiny.
The Hawk signifies union with Spirit or the Universe. If the Hawk flies into one’s life, one will be asked to evaluate dreams and visions—making the inner truth come out, realigning the soul with Spirit. One will be shown that he/she is on the right path.
If the Hawk flies into your life, be prepared for a bitter-sweet flight. If you listen closely, the Hawk will guide you through this time in your life—a time for evaluation of self, outside messages, and spiritual teachings.
------
Sources:
http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/dictionary_of_birds.htm#Hawks:
http://www.sayahda.com/cyc.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:12 pm
 Book Review - The Twelve Wild SwansBy too2sweet
Title: The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action
Author: Starhawk and Hilary Valentine
Pages: 326
Year Published: 2000
Synopsis (from the back cover): A fairytale about twelve wild swans is transformed into a set of instructions for an initiatory journey into the world of magic and Witchcraft. The lessons set out in Starhawk's The Spiral Dance are taken to a more profound level in this book, the first ever written to provide advanced magical training. A sourcebook for circles, covens and groups, this volume instructs on three levels and will be a required resource for all students, teachers and leaders in the growing Goddess movement.
Review: This is a really amazing book. While not necessarily a “keep you on the edge of your seats, begging for more” kind of book, the information and lessons learned from it are powerful and life changing. The first thing to realize is that the book is not set up to be read cover to cover like most books. Each chapter covers a specific part of the “fairytale”, but the lessons in each chapter are broken down into an “elements” path - for beginners, an “inner” path - for advanced practitioners and an “outer” path - for those who want to learn how to manifest positive change in the world around us. The second thing to keep in mind is that this book really is a journey, and like all important journeys should not be rushed through. One of my favorite sayings is “Faith is a journey, not a destination”, and I definitely think it applies here. Take your time studying with this book and you will not be disappointed. The book does covers a lot of the basics, but also focuses on quite a bit of trance work. Most of these meditations are ways for each of us to gain insight into ourselves, and also to help ourselves release any negative emotions or energies that we may be holding on to that are keeping us from achieving our true potentials. This definitely isn’t your traditional “how to” book, but you will find in the end that you have learned how to better connect to yourself, your abilities and to the world around. This book is great for studying in a group setting, although most of the exercises can be done solitary. This is a definite read for those who are just learning how to tap into their “witchiness” and those who are looking for ways to expand their practice.
------
Recommend Websites:
http://www.starhawk.org/
http://www.reclaiming.org
------
If you would like to discuss this book, or this book review, then please check out our Book Review Discussion thread.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:14 pm
 Crystals and Gemstones - HematiteWritten by Ciele Fu
FOUND IN: Britain, Italy, Brazil, Sweden, Canada, Switzerland
COLORS: Silver or red
CORRESPONDENCES: Base chakra, Mars/Saturn, Earth/Fire
KEYWORDS: Grounding, calming
Hematite is in my opinion, the grounding stone par excellence. If you find yourself constantly ungrounded or unfocused, try wearing it. Simple, cheap hematite jewelry is common, even in the most mundane of shops - though hematite rings are unusually fragile. This stone places emphasis on logical thought, and has become known as the stone of lawyers, mathematicians - despite crystal healing not widely viewed as the most rational of pursuits.
Hematite itself does not seem to want to fit into any accepted order, being fiery in its courage and raw reddish hues and earthly in its grounding capabilities and darker tones. Perhaps it would be best described as being of the extremely heated cores at the centre of the earth; like hematite, they contain a large percentage of the dense chemical element iron.
It is useful for combating stress and many of the symptoms caused by it - rapid pulse, restless sleep, ulcers. It allows you to calm down and concentrate, giving confidence and patience. Physically, it supports the heart and blood system, particularly encouraging the absorption of iron, and beneficial to the blood cleansing kidneys. And for some reason, leg cramps.
------
Sources:
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall
The Magic of Precious Stones by Mellie Uyldert
The Essential Crystal Handbook by Simon and Sue Lilly
Wikipedia articles on the earth's chemical makeup
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:17 pm
 The Elements - The Elemental Qualities (Part I)By Starlock
In his expositions, Aristotle outlined with great specificity the nature of the Four Elements, their relation to one another, and how they operated to form the world we know. Often, when you read a book from the New Age section, they'll mention something about the 'qualities' of the elements. This idea comes straight from Aristotle, who felt each element possessed a pair of qualities which describe the essence or nature of that element. There are two pairs of contraries (contrary meaning that both of the pair cannot exist in a single element): hot and cold, moist and dry.
So what the heck does that mean anyway? Most New Age sources will take a very literalistic interpretation on these qualities. This is all well and good, but it isn't precisely what Aristotle meant when he used these qualities to describe the elements. This week we'll take a look at the first pair of contraries: the active qualities of hot and cold.
Of Hot and Cold: The Active Qualities Aristotle Hot is that which associates things of the same kind (for dissociating, which people attribute Fire as its function, is association of things of the same class, since its effects to eliminate what is foreign), while cold is that which brings together, i.e. associates, homogenous and heterogeneous things alike.
Of the qualities, these two are the most likely to cause confusion. This is in part because their function is dual. We have a tendency to think of coming-to-be (e.g. birth/creation) and passing-out-of-being (e.g. death/destruction) in some absolute sense. Absolute creation and absolute destruction. Yet this is not the case as stated by Aristotle and other earlier Greek philosophers. Nothing is created out of a vacuum, but out of some prior substance. Thus, whenever something is created something else must be destroyed and vice versa.
The qualities of hot and cold both function to bring things together and separate things; the distinction lies within what sorts of things are brought together and separated.
A thing hot as evidenced by the quote above, serves to rid of things foreign, or disassociate compounds which are not of the same kind. In other words, things of different types, which would otherwise be mingled and one, disassociate and seek each other out. As well, as Aristotle states, it causes like to seek like. Put another way, picture the quality of hotness as that which creates individuality and multiplicity out of a primordial unity and sameness. From our own human point of view, we'd be most tempted to call this just plain creation, but keep in mind that in order for individual forms to emerge the unity has to be destroyed.
A thing cold then, as stated above, serves to do the opposite of what things hot do. It acts inclusive of things foreign, thereby associating compounds which are not of the same kind. As well it causes like to avoid like, or seek that which is different. Put another way, picture the quality of coldness as that which creates unity and sameness from a previous multiplicity and individuality. From our own human point of view we'd be most tempted to call this just plain destruction, but keep in mind that individual forms sacrificed create unification.
If you want to peg just two keywords on each of these two qualities, I'd suggest the following:
Hot = separation and differentiation (of individual forms)
Cold = unification and association (of individual forms)
Also take a look at the diagram below; it summarizes the basic flow.
Because hot and cold are the creator/destroyer forces, they're sometimes known as the active qualities. They're the movers and shakers of the four qualities. Next week we'll talk about the passive qualities of moist and dry.
------
Sources:
Oxford's Two Volume Set: The Complete Works of Aristotle. In particular, "On Generation and Corruption."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:20 pm
 The Herb Garden - CloverBy Choir-Angel
There are many types of clover. Sweet clover, red clover, crimson clover, white clover, so many kinds we could get lost. I've always known clover to be the little green leaved things growing wildly in the yard, but that's only one kind. The term "shamrock" comes from the Irish word, seamrog, which means "little clover". Considering though that there are so many different types of clover, this is rather vague. On St. Patrick's Day, many different types of clover pass for Irish shamrocks, but there are none that can claim to be the number one shamrock. Even in Ireland, there is no set plant which is dubbed the true Irish shamrock. When the Irish wear the shamrock, it can be one of any four plants. Three of which are clovers, and the fourth is a clover-like plant known as "medick". All are from the Pea family. Some even use members of the Wood Sorrel family as shamrocks because they're more easily grown and are easier houseplants. These are not even related to the clover though. While some of the plants used as shamrocks are not related to clover, they all have one thing in common, their three leaved structure. Many believe that any clover can be considered a shamrock, but this is not true. If a clover has less than, or more than three leaves, it is not a shamrock. What makes a shamrock a shamrock, are its three leaves which represent the Christian trinity.
When it comes to magical workings, clover can be very useful. In general, clover can be used to keep snakes away from your property. Clover can be left in your left shoe and forgotten to keep evil from you. Worn over the right chest it brings success and if you've a broken heart, wear clover in a piece of blue silk over her heart to help you through. White clover can be used to work against hexes, and red clover can aid you in dealing with financial arrangements, the infusion can also be sprinkled to remove negative spirits. If you find a two leaved clover, you'll soon find a lover. Three leaved clovers can be worn as protective amulets. Four leaved clovers when worn help men to avoid military service, protects against madness, strengthens psychic powers, helps you with detecting the presence of spirits, and leads the wearer to fortune. Also five leaved clovers are powerful for attracting money.
Folk Names: Honey, Honeystalks, Shamrock, Three-Leaved Grass, Trefoil, Trifoil
Gender: Masculine
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Powers: Protection, Money, Love, Fidelity, Exorcism, Success
----------
Sources:
http://landscaping.about.com/cs/lawns/a/clover_lawns.htm
"Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" by Scott Cunningham
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Shamrock Cookies
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Green food coloring
Directions:
1. Measure the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir well and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
3. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff.
4. Add several drops of green food coloring. Knead the dough until the color is evenly distributed.
5. Gather the dough into two balls, flatten into disks beginning at the edge of the dough and working toward the center. Cover with plastic and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. After the dough has chilled, place one half on a large piece of plastic wrap, cover with another piece of plastic wrap and then roll until it is 1/4-inch thick. Lift off the top sheet of plastic wrap and cut out shamrocks, beginning at the edge of the dough and working toward the center.
7. Place each shamrock on an ungreased baking sheet. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown. Remove to a rack to cool. For particularly festive shamrocks, decorate them with green candies or frosting.
Makes about 34.
------
Irish Potato Candy
Ingredients:
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 box (16 oz.) confectioners' sugar
1 bag (7 oz.) (about 2 1/2 c.) flaked coconut
Directions:
Ground cinnamon
Cream together the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar, then mix in the coconut. Roll mixture between hands to form walnut-sized balls. Roll balls in cinnamon and refrigerate until firm. Yields 30-36 balls. Use good quality, regular cream cheese.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:02 pm
 Meditation - Anchoring to Core WorthBy too2sweet
Several threads recently brought the topic of grounding (and specifically anchoring) to mind, and since this particular technique was included in the book that I reviewed this month, I thought that it was a good time to introduce it to you all.
Throughout our daily lives we move in and out of different states of consciousness. The most noticeable obviously are asleep and awake, but there are other states and many different reasons for these states. Whenever we cast a circle, for instance, we are affecting a change in consciousness, or when we are in that relaxed meditative state. Anchoring allows us to move between different state of consciousness at will.
For years stories have told us that if we say a magic word (like Abracadabra), then something magical will happen…well anchoring is, in a basic sense that magic word. Since not everyone works well with the same sensory mode, an anchor can be any word, image or touch that will immediately induce a change in consciousness. This comes in handy, especially in our busy lives when we don’t have a lot of time to spend on shifting from frazzled and stressed to being “grounded and centered”, or on days when our anxiety is out of control and we need something quick to help us be calm.
Someone recently expressed worry at being “stuck” while exploring past lives - with an anchor you could simply touch a spot on your arm and be instantly grounded in the present. Anchoring to your core worth takes all of this one step further by giving each of us a firm link to who we are inside that cannot be changed no matter how hard others try to influence us. When we acknowledge that each us of make our own valuable contributions, then that is something tangible that will ground us and keep us anchored when we need it most. Quote: In sacred space…sit, stand or lie down in a relaxed position. Breathe deeply, and let yourself be of the times and places in which you feel most relaxed, most yourself - when you are in touch with your inner power but don’t need to use it. A time when you can truly let your hair down and just be who you are. Pick one situation, one place, and slowly let it fill your awareness. How does the air feel on your skin here? How do you feel in your body? How are you holding you body and where is your breath coming from? Make this situation, this state of being as real as you can. Is there a place in your body you can identify as holding this state - or a posture you can take, or gesture you can make? Touch that place and breathe into it. Pick one image, one thing that you can visualize from this place. Hold it in your mind’s eye as you touch that special place on your body. Find a word or phrase you can say that reminds you of this state. Say the word, touch the place on your body and hold the image in your mind. When you do these three things together, you have created your anchor. You can use your anchor anytime to bring you into this core state of being. Breathe into your anchor; tell yourself that the more you use it, the stronger it will become. Now let go of your anchor and return to wakefulness.
------
Source:
The Twelve Wild Swans by Starhawk and Hilary Valentine
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:04 pm
 Ostara – Friday, March 21, 2008Written by Kareena80
Alternative names: Spring Equinox, Eostre/Easter and Vernal Equinox
Ostara is not one of the early Sabbats that was honored in the early Druidic days. Actually in comparison to the other Sabbats, Ostara is a relatively new Sabbat that honors the rebirth of Mother Nature. There are many speculations of when it started; but most associate the holiday with Nemetona; a Romano-Celtic Goddess. Nemetona means 'grove', and she holds special significance to the Celts, as the woodlands are considered sacred places.
We celebrate Ostara as a day of equilibrium or balance. A day when it is not quite winter, but not yet spring- and it is also the longest day with the longest night. This is a day of preparation- a day to start/prepare your garden or to re-consecrate your magickal tools and rebalance their energies. Perhaps also a day to rebalance your checkbook and pour energy into re-centering your finances? It’s definitely a good day to craft tools and other items for your altar and home.
This is also a good time for meditation and reflecting on personal energies. Are you unbalanced in a section of your life? Reflect on your past and focus on any unbalances and plan to rebalance them for a positive future. It could be finances as I mentioned earlier, or maybe spending too much time with work/school and not enough time with family or relaxing? Perhaps junk foods been your passion, and you need to rebalance your diet? Meditate and look inside yourself for any unbalances- this is one of the best times to refocus and rebalance yourself. (But don’t forget, you can use meditation and rebalancing at any time- not just for Ostara!)
Celebrating:
On the eve of Ostara, honor the fertility of the season by sorting seeds to be honored during a festival ritual. (Or simply gather some pinecones- explained further on) If you have children, or if you're a kid at heart, this is also a good time to boil eggs and decorate them with beautiful colors and symbols.
On the day of Ostara, plan a walk through the park or arboretum. Hide the eggs you decorated, and help your children play games to find them. If you gathered pinecones, scatter the seeds in the park- or any other seeds for that matter. If you are planning a garden- go ahead and work in your garden and prepare them for the growing season. Spend the afternoon sharing in the preparation of a feast of celebration. A ham, vegetables, and potatoes are always a good sampling for the spring holiday. Also eggs (including chocolate eggs) are appropriate ways to celebrate the fertility & approaching spring season.
End your evening in private reflection, and record your thoughts in a private journal or BOS.
Altar: Decorate with daffodils & other spring flowers. A red candle can be used to symbolize the energy and movement of new life.
Colors: Red, yellow & gold
Symbols: Flowers, Rabbits/Hares, Eggs, Butterflies.
-----
Project:
How to dye eggs *Naturally*!!!
First of all, plan on only doing about 3 - 4 eggs at a time. You'll want them to have room to bob around in the pan, and not be piled on top of one another. Before starting, poke a small hole with a pin or needle in the end of each egg. This will help keep them from cracking while they boil. You'll really want to have at least a dozen eggs, just because it's a lot of fun to experiment with different colors.
Start your water boiling. Use enough to cover about an inch over the tops of the eggs, but don't put them in the pan yet. Add 2 tsp of white vinegar, and bring the water to a boil. Once it's boiling, add 3 - 4 eggs using a slotted spoon (helpful hint: do NOT let your kids drop them in the water. Trust me on this one). Next, you'll add your coloring material. Here's where it gets really fun!
To color your eggs, add one of the following items. You'll have to experiment a little to see how much to add, but try different amounts to get different shades of each color. Once you've added your coloring, allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Red/pink: paprika
- Purple: concentrated grape juice (Welch's works nicely, about half a can)
- Yellow: Skins (only) of a half dozen yellow onions
- Gold: Curry powder
- Beige: Coffee grounds
- Light green: frozen chopped spinach (1/3 to 1/2 package)
- Blue: 1 Cup frozen blueberries (with juice)
After they've boiled, carefully remove the eggs from the pot with your slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to dry. If you'd like them darker, you can allow them to sit over night in the pot of dye, but the vinegar can weaken the eggs' shells. When the eggs have dried completely, dab a little bit of vegetable oil on a paper towel and "polish" the eggs to give them some shine.
Refrigerate them until it's time to hide them, eat them, or show them off to your friends. Remember to never eat eggs that have been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.
Tips:• If your kids are more into the coloring than the eating of Ostara eggs, consider brushing your colored eggs with a thin layer of glue, and then sprinkling some glitter on top.
- Eggs can take on the flavor of whatever you use to dye them, so unless you enjoy coffee-flavored eggs, put some thought into using dyed eggs in recipes.
------
Sources:
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/celtic/ostara.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostaracrafts/ht/NaturalEggDyes.htm
The Book Of Wicca by Lucy Summers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
